Murderer
by Princess Shania
Summary: No, I do NOT believe Pythagoras did what he did on purpose. Still, last night's episode was begging to have a fanfiction written about it, so here it is. Pythagoras' thoughts on what happened that night and Comforting! Hercules and Jason. Rated for domestic violence.
1. Chapter 1

Mnesarchus rained his fists across Maia's face. She whimpered and cried, not looking her husband in his cold, black eyes for fear of the hatred she would see there. She kept quiet, not only to avoid upsetting Mnesarchus, but to also keep her sons from waking. Behind her, she felt another presence. Her husband stopped his beating and glared at the newcomer.

"Go back to your bed, Pythagoras." he snarled.

"No." the teenager's voice was quiet, but resolved. Maia gazed at Mnesarchus, hoping that he would not strike their eldest.

"Now!"

"You, stop hitting her." He still sounded like a child, his voice young and high, yet he stood his ground like a man. Maia felt pride for him, but also terror.

Mnesarachus strode towards Pythagoras, who stepped back, all too familiar with what he knew would happen next. "I'll teach you to respect your betters, you ungrateful, insolent_ rat_!"  
He clenched his fist and drove it towards his eldest's throat. Pythagoras fell to the ground and gasped, massaging his neck. That was Mnesarchus' preferred way of discipline It hurt and weakened the recipient. Satisfied he would not be interrupted again, the dark-haired male turned his attention back to his terrified wife. Raising his hand, he was surprised to feel small, yet determined hands grab his shoulders. Whipping around, he was astonished to see the boy had managed to recover and was looking...well, angry.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mnesarchus sneered. "You are just a weak child and you can't stop me."

Pythagoras glared with all his might into his father's eyes. "Stop hurting her."

Mnesarchus pushed him away, the previous look of fury he had been wearing replaced with a sadistic smirk. "Never. I own you both." He grabbed his son's arm and began twisting it. Maybe a broken limb would teach the boy...

Somehow, somewhere, Pythagoras snapped. He pushed at his father with all his might. He could never have anticipated what would happen next.  
Mnesarchus, one of the most feared men in Samos fell. His head slammed into the dining table with a sickening _ CRACK! _

_Thud._

_Silence._ Maia looked at her son, who was staring down at his father. Blood was starting to pool around the tyrannical patriarch's head, like a shining, crimson halo. Pythagoras knelt down by his father and started desperately peeling back his father's dark curls.

"Father, oh, Father, please awaken!" Pythagoras pleaded.

Maia ran to fetch a rag to stem the bleeding. Her son snatched it off her and pressed it against the older man's head. The bleeding would not stop.

"Mother."

She crouched by Pythagoras, tenderly placing her arms around him. "Yes, son?"

"Forgive me. Oh, please forgive me..."

She pulled Pythagoras away from Mnesarchus and into her embrace. He started sobbing and threw his arms around her, clamping onto her middle. She soothed him as she wept. This was not his fault. He had been defending her, defending himself. How could he be blamed? Yet, she knew the king would not see it that way. Should this be discovered, Pythagoras would be called a murderer. Yet he wasn't. He was a protector. She knew what she had to do.

"I'm sorry. I killed him. He's dead because of me..."

"No." She told him, kissing his cheek. "Not at all. You didn't kill him because you wanted to. You are not a killer. This was an accident. But we must tell no one."

"Will you forgive me?"

"There is nothing to forgive. I love you, my son." She released him. "I must go to find a healer. Maybe there is something he can do."

* * *

There wasn't. The healer took one look and shook his head, sorrowfully. When he asked what happened, Maia told him there had been an attempted burglary and Mnesarchus had been attacked. Pythagoras simply nodded.  
The worst part of it was not the fact that he had killed a man. It was telling Arcas, his beloved 2 year old brother, that Father was dead. They didn't tell him that he was murdered, neither having the strength to tell the young child.

Ten years later, Pythagoras let it slip that it had been a murder. Arcas had cried. He swore revenge. Pythagoras listened, with growing fear and Arcas described what he would do to the man if ever he caught him. He decided he could never tell Arcas the truth. It would kill them both.


	2. Chapter 2

Hercules slammed open the door. He heard Pythagoras mumble something in his sleep and rolled hie eyes, smiling. Sometimes, the blond man talked more in his sleep than he did in his waking life. Humming the song the lads had been singing in the tavern, he entered his bedroom and starting taking off his waistcoat.

"NO!"

He sprinted into the mathematician's chamber, with speed that he thought he'd lost, only to find there was no intruder. Just Pythagoras, lying on his back, still in slumber. He couldn't see the man's expression in the dim light and bending down, peered closer. He looked... scared. Guilty, even. Standing back, he wondered what was going on.

"Fa- Father, forgive me...Forgive me, please...Father..."

Whatever the genius said next, Hercules did not know. Instead, Pythagoras started groaning and whimpering as if in pain. He shook and stirred and suddenly toppled off his bed and if the ex-hero hadn't been so close, he would have fallen onto the floor.  
He opened his eyes, so wide that Hercules was afraid they would pop clean out of his head. He was still hyperventilating, and, to the older man's dismay, he saw two tears escape from Pythagoras' sapphire blue orbs.  
He didn't have a reputation for being soft and cuddly, yet he found himself brushing away the teardrops and then yanking Pythagoras towards his body, making the blonde rest his chin on his shoulder. He felt curly hair squash against his ear and Pythagoras curled himself up like a child in the womb. In the seven months Hercules had known Pythagoras, he had grown to care for and even admire the man. Hearing his broken sobs fill the room was heartbreaking. He tried his best to console him. He didn't know what to say, so settled for patting his shoulder and holding onto him and, though he felt like a fool, cupping his head like a parent holding their child.

It worked. Though it took a long while, eventually Pythagoras lifted his head and his breathing became more natural. He made no move to get out of the embrace, so Hercules kept a hold on him. Pythagoras leaned against Hercules' chest, trying to get his breath back. He'd ben having nightmares every anniversary. Luckily he'd never said anything pertaining to what he'd done. He supposed these bad dreams were his punishment. He deserved them. He felt embarrassed that Hercules had come to him while he was screaming and crying. He felt like a child.

"Er, do you want to talk about whatever it was you were dreaming?"

Pythagoras didn't answer. Oaf as he was, Hercules knew when Pythagoras was lying. Should he say 'no', Hercules would know that was not the case. He wanted to lighten this burden, yet if he were to be honest...He shuddered. Hercules would despise him.

"You know, my father wasn't especially pleasant either. Well, he was my foster father, really."

"My father is dead." Pythagoras found himself choking out.

"He can't hurt you." Hercules told him.

"It was _my_ _fault_.." Pythagoras stopped, his blood growing cold at what he'd said.

"No. Certain things are beyond our control." Hercules did not believe for a moment that Pythagoras was to blame. He knew the man's father had been murdered in a burglary gone wrong and thought Pythagoras meant he could have stopped his father's death.

Pythagoras was quiet. Beyond his control. He'd never thought of that. He'd always thought he should've remembered it, but, maybe it wasn't truly his fault.

"The death of a parent hurts, I know. But what happened to your father was not your doing. You mustn't blame yourself. You did not kill him. In truth the table did."

"He was pushed."

"Yes, but do you believe the thief _intended_ on killing him?"

"No."

"Well, there you are, then. It was not intended and you are not to blame."

"I am not to blame." Pythagoras mumbled. He felt lighter. "I am not to blame."

"No, you're not." Hercules felt pleased to see the man looked happier. Calmer. He shifted around and Pythagoras realised he was currently using the older man as a seat.

"Sorry!" He scrambled to his feet, blushing, feeling sure that Hercules would mock him until the end of time.

Hercules staggered to his feet. "Will you be alright?"

Pythagoras nodded. "Yes. Thank you, Hercules."

Hercules smiled and went back to his room. Pythagoras sat on his bed and sighed contentedly. Hercules, for once, was right. He really wasn't to blame.

**I don't know if Maia was, in fact, Pythagoras' mother's name, but Maia is the Greek word for 'mother', so I heard, so there it is! :)**

**Love from Shania. xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**This is the story of how Jason and Pythagoras first kissed. It takes place after 'The Furies' and involves a guilt-ridden Pythagoras and a comforting Jason. Enjoy!**

Pythagoras dragged his knuckles across his eyes as he heard his friend enter their home. Their. It seemed strange, yet natural how Pythagoras felt so accepting to this man who'd literally fallen into his life.  
He knew what had happened to his father wasn't his fault. Jason had told him. Hercules had told him. Mother had told him. Even Arcas had told him, yet he felt...bad. Like there could have been something he could have done. It was ridiculous. Yet, tears slowly dripped down his face, burning his eyes and biting into his cheeks. How could he help but blame himself? True, he had been a child, barely thirteen years of age, but he..

He'd killed a man. He _killed_ him. Ended his life.

He kept his face away from Jason. He didn't deserve Jason's gentle eyes, he didn't need the man's musical voice to tell him that it was not his fault Mnesarchus was dead. Jason had his back to him. He was fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Soon, it would be lifted over his head and if Pythagoras was lucky, Jason would not realise he was being stared at by the appreciative mathematician.  
Pythagoras didn't look. As much as he liked enjoying the view of Jason's toned, beautiful body, today was not the day to be gazing. He knew his eyes would be red, judging by how sore they felt and knew Jason would imediately realise what was on his mind. He tried to breathe slowly so that if Jason spoke to him, he would not hear the quiver in his voice. He gave Jason a watery smile (not that he saw) and rose from his seat to go to his chambers.

"Are you tired?" Jason heard him get up.

Pythagoras nodded. _'Mustn't worry Jason. He already thinks of you lowly enough, you piece of evil.'_

"Get plenty of rest." Jason advised.

Pythagoras nodded and walked briskly to his room, praying Jason wouldn't worry about him. He needed to be alone.

* * *

Jason was not a fool. He knew damn well Pythagoras wasn't happy, but the genius wasn't going to tell him that, was he? He was really stubborn when he wanted to be. He looked in the dorection of where the mathematician was and sighed softly. How could Pythagoras think Jason wouldn't know? He knew the man like he knew the back of his hand. He wondered about going after him and telling him he knew something was wrong, but that was ridiculous. Pythagoras would surely deny it.  
He could just wait for a while and then check up on him. He was allowed to care for his friend for God's sakes! His wonderful, naive, gentle friend. He remembered the fear he'd felt as Pythagoras had been sucked up by the sandstorm. He'd felt so scared, more than he had been with the Minotaur, more than he had been with the Priestesses, more than during the Pancration. If Pythagoras had died, he would be lost. Pythagoras was the only friend he had. Sure he had Hercules and Medusa, but Pyth was...He was his. He loved the man.  
They'd kown each other for so long, they'd protected each other, cared for each other. Sometimes Jason found himself...

Wanting. He wanted Pythagoras. He'd realised during the pancration. Ariadne had just stared at him. Pythagoras was the one with emotion in his eyes, the one who did all he could. He always did. He truly was the kindest man Jason had ever known. And with his golden hair, his large blue eyes, his delicacy that made Jason want to hold onto him until the end of time, he was one of the most oddly desirable men he'd ever met.  
Jason knew what he had to do. He had to be there for Pythagoras no matter what happened.

* * *

Pythagoras was trying to sleep. But every time he closed his eyes he'd see him. His father falling, dying. The Furies screaming. His brother's hating, accusing eyes. His mother weeping. He felt scalding tears make their way out of his eyes. He sniffled and buried his face in his pillow. He jumped as he felt a pair of strong, yet gentle arms lift him. He felt a firm surface beneath his back and realised someone was holding him, as an act of comfort.

"Jason?"

"I've got you."

He felt hands smooth his hair and nearly lost it. No one, except his mother, had ever petted his hair. No man had ever done it and there was Jason, doing this loving gesture like it was perfectly natural to do it to everyone. He dug his fingers into Jason's arm and tried desperately to stop his crying. It didn't stop. He felt Jason pull at him and suddenly he was pressed up against Jason's warm skin, feeling the man breathe, hearing his heart beat. Any other time and he wold've been thrilled. Now, all he wanted was Jason's comfort. He wanted him, but not in the romantic ways he'd been thinking of these past months. He needed his comfort, so he wrapped his arms around Jason's middle and tried to forget.

"Ssh. It's OK.."

Was he still crying? He couldn't feel it.

"It's not your fault. You know that. It was never your fault."

"I know, I just, I..."

"You saved your brother and your mother. He would've hurt Arcas. You saved them."

"I..he..."

"You did nothing wrong. You didn't murder him, you protected your mother, your brother. You saved them."

"I'm not proud of it!"

Jason didn't know what to say. He kept on stroking his hair, waiting for the man to say something.

"I'm glad she was never hurt again, and I'm glad he was safe, but... when I die and I get to the Underworld..."

"No one could hold it against you, Pyth. No one."

Pythagoras coughed miserably. "I know, but.."

Jason understood. Without thinking, he pressed a kiss to the younger man's temple. "I understand."

Pythagoras froze. He shakily lifted a hand and touched where Jason's lips had been.

"Sorry..." Jason bit his lip. How could have done that?

Pythagoras propped hismelf up on his arms. He looked Jason in the eyes and leant toward him. He knew he must look a mess, hair sticking up, face streaked, eyes red, but Jason didn't look repulsed. He kept still and responded enthusiastically to Pythagoras' exploring mouth. They stayed where they were, Pythagoras lying on Jason's chest, running his fingers through his dark hair, Jason lightly massaging the mathematician's lips with his own, his hands exploring, running over curves and lightly squeezing soft, warm flesh.  
it was amazing, like nothing any of them had experienced. This was, Jason decided, better than kssing Ariadne. WIth pythagoras, this seemed more natural, more amazing. Eventually they parted, coming up for air, and stared at each other in awe.

"Do you feel better?" jason mumbled.

"Much. Thank you."

Jason smiled and ran his hands through pythagoras' hair. He'd noticed how much they younger man had enjoyed the action and was determined to do it as much as possible.

"Jason?"

"Yes?"

"Will you stay with me tonight?"

Jason kissed him again. "Of course."

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Love from Shania. xx**


End file.
